The Los Angeles Lakers are still hopeful that star players Luka Doncic and LeBron James will be back. However, they don’t know when. James has been out all season because of right sciatica. Doncic has missed games since last Sunday because of a sprained left finger and a bruise on his lower left leg.
The Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-115 on Wednesday night at the Target Center. This victory came even though they were short-handed. Austin Reaves’ clutch game-winning floater was the difference. Coach JJ Redick gave updates on Doncic and James’ health. He mentioned that Doncic’s injury is being treated on a daily basis and that the swelling is getting better. There is some cautious hope that Doncic will be back in the next few games.
The team thinks that LeBron James will be back in three to four weeks. This is probably around the time of the NBA Cup game in Memphis or a game in Atlanta in early November. Redick stressed that James’ return depends on how well he continues to follow his return-to-play rules.
The Lakers also got back backup center Jaxson Hayes, who had missed three games because of left patellar tendinopathy. Marcus Smart, on the other hand, was ruled out because he hurt his right quad. Coach Redick said that eight players on the roster are ready to play right now.
Austin Reaves, the Lakers’ main ballhandler, had to do more work because Doncic and James weren’t there. Jayden McDaniels, the Timberwolves’ best defender, was given the job of guarding Reaves. In the first half, Reaves scored 18 points and gave out nine assists. This helped the Lakers keep their halftime lead of 62-58.
The Timberwolves also missed important guard Anthony Edwards, who was out with a right hamstring strain. The good news for the Lakers is that rookie forward Adou Thiero has been given the go-ahead to work on live court contact. He is getting closer to being able to play five-on-five. Thiero is practicing with the main team but is officially with the South Bay Lakers, the G-League team.
This win showed how tough the Lakers are even without their best players. It highlighted Austin Reaves as an important player during this tough part of the season.
